Fiber-scutcher.



PATENTED JAN.16, 1906. E. E. HORINE. FIBER SGUTCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

N0.'81o,28o. PATENTBD JAN. 16, 1906,

E. E. HORINE. FIBER SGUTGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1 3, 1905.

z SHEETS-'SHEET z @Romney UNITED srATEs PArENT .oEEIoE EDMUND E. HORINE,or NrcHoLAsvILLE, KENTucKY,'AfssreNoR or oNE- HALE To EoscoE HoRlNEWELoH, or LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.'

' FIBER-scoreless.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed June 13, 1905.V Serial No. 265,102.

`means for disintegrating the pith or chad without injury to the fiber,to insure the complete separation of the chaif and all other refusc fromthe fiber, to prevent the latter' from being drawn out of its propercourse of travel by the suction or reaction ofthe fan, to provide foruniformly feeding the stalks to the machine, to so hold and crush thesame as to v insure perfect action of the scu'tcliers, andrtolprovement.

insure the'passage of the ber in straight lines regardless of thedirection of introduction of the stalks. f

The invention will be hereinafter fully setI forth, and particularlypointed-out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is avertical sectional View illustrating my im- Fig. 2 is an enlargedhorizontal r sectional viewof'the scutcher and its inclosv l theair-outlet doors ofthe fan-casing, parts ing' casing.' 3 is an enlargedView of the scutcher. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a plainView. Fig. 6 isa view of the stalkdistributing feed-roll. Fig. 7 is aface View of being broken away. Fig. 8 shows the gear- .ing of thefeed-rolls.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the frame, 2 the feed-table, and3 a cylindrical casing iixedly mounted within the frame and having acentral air-inlet opening. The casingf3 is closed permanently thegreater part ot' its circumference, but-is cut away to form aninlet-opening about on a plane with the top of feed-.table 2, astationary bar 4; forming the bottom of such opening. An outlet-opening5 is. also formed in casing 3 beneath barili to' allow thefib'er andchad to pass from the casing under the action of fan 6.

opening 5 onto a conveyer 8, so constructed as zontal leg of theconveyerS.

the horizontal iiights.

outer edges of the blades thereof- I l This fan is* concentricallymounted within casing 3.and

to allow of the free passage of the p-ith, chaff, or other refusethrough b oth liights of the upright leg. Itis against thedownwardlymoving iiight that the fiber first engages, and it is thencarried down beneath a second cooperating con veyer 9, extending overthe hori- Each of these eonveyers is preferably composed of spacedapartcross-rods united by bands or belts passed around suitable wheels orpulleys vin such manner that conveyer 8 will have an' upward anddownward iiight in addition to The upper horizontal Hight of theconveyer 8 cooperates with the lower horizontal ight of conveyer 9 inconf' veying the fiber from the machine. These conveyers may be operatedby any ,suitable means (not shown) applied to any one ofthe severalpulleyshafts thereof.

As it sometimes transpires that the suction i' or reaction of the fantends to draw inwardly some of the fiber at the lower end of opening 5,I form casing 3 with a series of doors 10, the opening'of'which servesto-increase the area of' the outlet-opening 5, and aside from allowing agreater outlet for the blast the danger'of the fiber being drawn'inwardly is lessened orentirely removed by reason of the doors beingpositioned at substantially right angles to the fan-casing. In'someinstances only one of the doors 10 may beopened, While in others allofthem needfbe. Eaehdoor is swung ona separate pivot-rod 12, mounted inthe sides of frame 1, each rod at one end being equipped with anoperating-handle 13.

14 designates the scutchers, which consist of plates mounted in zigzagform around the fan, being preferably -set in grooves in the- Theseplates are formed on their edges with saw-like teeth 15 and are soarranged as to constantly change their direction, being carried diagovnally through the several blades, the angularity being such thatv theplane of the 'inner most portionsof each scutcher-plate will intersectthe outermost portions of the next adjacent plate. In this way all thestalks areuniformly acted upon, and contact is had with every portion ofthe projecting edge ofL each stalk, and ev'en if the stalks be presentedat an angle to theirfentrance the fiber will be forced down `on straightlines.

Between the feed-table 2 and the Ybar4` are three revolving feed-rollers16, against which the stalks are held by an upper revolving' feed-roller17, which crushes and holds the stalks so tightly that any deiectionthereof 'as they are being acted upon by the scutcherteeth isimpossible. Preferably the series of rollers 16 and the bar 4 aremounted at their ends in adjustable plates 18, so as to regulate theposition of bar 4 relatively to the scutcher. rlhe several rollers 16are preferably driven at differential speeds and for this purpose areequipped with gear-'pinions 16, which mesh with gear-wheels 16", asshown in Fig. 8. The several gear-wheels 16", are shown as carried bythe' roller 17, which, as shown in Fig. 5, is operated by acounter-shaft 16C, driven by the shaft of the fan.

19 designates a distributing-roll located on feed-table 2 .in closeproximity to rollers i6 and 17. This roller 19 isformed with a right andleft hand spiral 520, with the convolutions carried in oppositedirections from the center, said spirals working just above plates 21,projecting upwardly from the bottom of feed-table 2. By this means thestalks will be equally distributed throughout the width of thefeed-table and fed onto rollers 16, where they will be caught andcompressed by roller 17 as they pass over the'stationary bar 4 duringthe cutting or sawing operation.

A[f it be found necessary to admit air against the fiber as it travelsover the horizontal leg of conveyer, aslidingdoorQQ in the top 23 of theoutlet-trough 24 may be opened for this purpose, and to prevent thiliber from adhering to the conveyer 9 on the return flight thereof Iprovide in top 23 a, screen-covered air-outlet opening 25. A slidingdoor 2 6 is also formed in the uprigl'lt portion of frame 1 forthepu'rpose of allowing access to the interior of the machine and alsoto permit any excess of air to pass out through the opening covered bythis door: A conveyor "27 for the refuse may be located in trough 24.

In practice the fan is rotated at a high rate of speed, and the rollers16, 17, and 1f), as well as the conveyers, are driven at such speeds asconditions may require and by such means as may be found best suited forthe purpose, the conveyers 8 and f) traveling at a greater.' speed thanthe feed-rolls so as to exert a pull o n the fibers. 'l'he stalks afterbeing placed on feed-table 2 are equally distributed by roller 19 overthe feed-rollers 16 and held tightly to place by the pressure-roller 17.The ends of the stalks projeetingover the bar 4 are acted upon by theswitcher-plates 14, which p ,ttes serve to thoroughly break ||p`thewoody matter, pith, or chaff, leavingthe liber intact, and thecentrifugal action of the fan will force the liber, together with theehall'I and other refuse` out through opening 5 against theilownwarfily-moving flight of the upright leg ol' conveyor 8, the chatl'passing' through vsuch conveyer down into the outlet-trough 24,

where it is taken up by the conveyer 27 and discharged out of the way,while the liber remains in contact with the conveyer and is drawnthereby and carried over the horizontal leg thereof in contactwi th thesecond conveyer 9, and as itleaves the machine it is free of all refuse.The conveyers 8 and 9 exert a constant pull on the fiber. As beforestated, should any of the fiber tend to be drawn backq wardly intocasing 3 the area of opening 5 may be increased by the opening of doors1,0, such doors when opened standing outwardly from the casing atsubstantially right angles thereto, so as to serve as detlectors andprevent the fiber from being' drawn backwardly into the casing.

The advantages of my invention willA be apparent to those skilled intheart. I have found in actual practice that a machine constructed inaccordance therewith effects thorough and complete disintegration andseparation of the chaff and other refuse from the fiber, allowing thelatter to be delivered from the machine in lengths corresponding to thelengths of the original stalks and in a much straighter condition thanit was on being fed to the machine. 'lvhc output of the machine is verygreat, all of the fiber being recovered, land the parts being extremelysimple are not liable to readily getoutof order or be deranged. [twillbe noted that thescutcherplates extend around the fan concentricallytherewith and that they are arranged with such angularity to insure theengagement ofthe teeth with every portion of theprojecting ends of thestalks, thereby insuring the breaking up and removal of the woody orpith'y substances in very fine pieces without disintcgrating the fiber.

l claim as my inventionY 1. A. liber-separating machine comprising astationary casing having an inlet-opening, and an outlet-opening' belowthe inlet-opening, a rapidly-rcvolving fan mounted in said casing, seuteller-plates mounted concentrically on said fan and having teeth intheir outer edges, and a conveyor passing' in closeproximity to saidoutlet-opening for receiving' the fiber therefrom, such convcyer beingso constructed as to permit the chaff and other refuse beingforcedtherethrough b'y the blast from the fan,

2. A liber-separating machlne comprising f a stationary casing having aninlet-opening,

and an outlet-opening' below the inlet-opening, a raphily-revolving fanmounted in said cas-l ing, scutcher-plates mounted concentrically onsaid fan and having' teeth in their outer edges, said plates beingarranged in zigzag form, with the apexes of the angular portions thereofintersecting a common plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and aconveyor moving in close proximity to said ou tlet-opening.

TOO

'a canine' having' :m inlet-opening', a lixed har 3. Aliber-f=eparatingl machine eomprising' l formingr the bottom oll suehopenii'ig', a series olI feed-rollers :uljacent to Suid har, apressureroller 'for holding' :md erunhing' the stalks l against saidSeries ol rollers, said easinghavinlir t an outlet-opening' beneath saidhar, a rapidlyrotating' fan mounted in said easing, a aerieny y ofsexueller-plates arranged coneentrieally on said fan and havingl teethin their outer edges, and a conveyor in Clone proximity to `Saidoutlet-opening'.

4. 'A iberse1iarating machine eomprining a stationary easing` having` auiuletopening', and an outlet-opening' beneath said inlet-opening. ariuiiivlly-rew)lying `lan within said eaing, sexueller-plates mounted onSaid lzn'nand means for preventing4 the liber from beine' drawn inwardlythrough Said outlet-(mening by the Suction or remztionl ol the fan. v

5.2i; liber-separa'Ling` machine eon'ipriaing a stationary casing'having an inlet-(mening, and an outlet-opening' beneath saidinlet-opening', a rapidly-revelvine' lan within said easing.scuteher-plates mounted on said fain and a series of detieetors mountedon said canine; beneath Said outletdipei'ling tor preventing' the liberfrom being;P drawn through said outiet- 1 opening by the `@notion orreaction of tle tan.

a stationary casing having' an inlet-opening', andan outlet-opening'beneath said inet-open y ing, a rapidly-revo]ving, fan within saideasing', Seutcher-plntes mounted on said lan, audi :i Series ot' doorsfor increasing the area of l Said outlet-(meinung said doors when openedbeing' at substantiaiiy righi'l mieles to said casing and acting' asdeieetors for preventing' the fiber from being drawn inu'nrdly throughsaid Outietepening' by the suetion or reaction i of the fan.

7. A liber-selmlratiile' maehine eoniprisilmr a circular easing' having'an inlet-opening, a l fixed bar forming' the bottom oll suchinletopening', an outlet-opening beneath sueh har, means for increasing'the area ol' sueh outletl (S. A liber-'Separating machine comprising l lopening', a eonveyer movabiein close proximity tosueh outlet-opening,arapidly-revolvmg tan mounted m said easing', a series of seuteher- Iplates mounted at the periiihery of such fan and enen-eliner the latter,such plates being' arranged in zigzag form and having teeth in theirouter edges, a series oi' feed-rollers adjacent Snid -fixed bar, and apressure-roller mounted above Said feed-rollers.

8. A liber-separating machine Ahaving` a feed-table, a rotary Seutehenmeans for hold l ing' the stalks while` they are being' acted upon i bythe seuteher, a roller mounted above the feed-table and meanscoopera-ting with Such Aroller for equally distributing the stalks toSaid holdin wenns.

9. A :separating machine having` a feed-table, z; l nary seuteher,ineens for holding the stalks whiie they are being' acted upon by theseuteher7 and a roller mounted above said table havi i right and lefthand Spiral extending' from Center to each end.

lt). liberoperating machine having' a feed-table, a rotary seuteher,means for holdl ing the Stalls while they are being' aeted upon by theseuteher, a roller mounted above `Said table.- having' a4 right and lefthand spirai eri teniilingg from its center to eaeh end, andguideplatenext-ending' upwardly 'from the bottoni 'ol th(I feed-tablebeneath said roller.

l1. ln a liber-separatinej machine, aeasing' having' an inlet-opening,feed-rollers,A an

i, upper roller for holding and eruehing' the stalks against saidrollers;` seuteher-plates rotating' in the direction of their lengths, a

fan, and Conveyors traveling at a higher speed than the iee lrollers forexerting n. pull on the liber.

ln testimony whereof l have signed this speeilieation in th(l presenceoll two Subscribing; witnesses.

ICDN U N l) E. iiORlNE.

